Agassi ready for Wimbledon return

June 14, 1993|By New York Times News Service

He may be wearing even more white than is necessary, in the form of a bandage to soothe his ailing right wrist, but Andre Agassi, the undisputed peacock of the male tennis circuit and the unlikely defending champion of Wimbledon, has vowed to return to the scene of his greatest career triumph and attempt to defend his first and only Grand Slam crown.

On Sunday, Agassi, who transcended his baseline heritage last year to defeat Goran Ivanisevic in a stirring five-set Wimbledon final, expects to commence his title defense despite being unable, as recently as last Monday, to hit his favorite stroke, the forehand blast, because of pain in his right wrist.

But after a blazing nocturnal workout in Las Vegas, Nev., Saturday evening, Agassi pronounced himself fit to return to competition, which he'll do today at a Wimbledon tuneup in Halle, Germany. The strenuous practice session, his first since April, served as a test to determine the effectiveness of a cortisone injection Agassi received directly into his wrist at the Seattle offices of Dr. Edward Almquist last Monday.